This invention relates to a coupling assembly suitable in particular for rotary devices, for example centrifuges.
In rotary devices, for example centrifuges or the like into which fluids to be processed are fed and from which various components separated from the processed fluid leave, it is known to use couplings for connecting fluid feed and/or discharge conduits to the centrifuge interior, said couplings having a fixed portion and another portion which rotates together with the centrifuging device. In general, in such devices, the fluid feed and discharge conduits are fixed and are disposed in the fixed portion of said couplings, and in such a case the operation of the respective centrifuging cells is generally intermittent to allow for the feed and discharge of the products separated in the centrifuge in a given sequence.
There are also centrifuging devices comprising feed or discharge conduits of special construction which are arranged to at least partly rotate together with the centrifuging cell. These types of centrifuge are also able to operate continuously, but this implies a certain traversing movement of the discharge conduits during the centrifuging cycle to enable them to be positioned in the various zones in the centrifuge from which the separated components of the processed fluids are discharged at any given time. Consequently, in such types of centrifuge, some of the feed and/or discharge conduits are disposed in an eccentric position with respect to the axis of rotation of the centrifuge, and this can give rise to contamination problems for the processed liquids as they are transferred into these eccentric conduits.